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Miss Spider's Sunny Patch: Hum Bug
Lionsgate Home Entertainment // Unrated // November 6, 2007
List Price: $9.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
One of the greatest things about being a parent is the ability to Every so often, my children will discover a show on Noggin or PBS Kids on their own. I have to admit, some of the shows they start watching - Arthur, Between the Lions, the Backyardigans and Tiny Planets, are pretty darn entertaining. Another show that caught their eye is Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends. Based on the books by David Kirk, Miss Spider is about about a...um, spider, who lives in in a place called Hollow Tree with her children Spinner, Snowdrop, Pansy, Wiggle, Squirt, Shimmer, Dragon, Bounce and hubby Holley.
During each episode, I assume there is some sort of lesson for kids to learn, but I found it hard to decipher at times because i'm so intent on keeping track of who was whom. If the huge cast wasn't bad enough, the abstract CGI, with characters made up of mostly spherical shapes and jagged lines made it that much harder. That's not to say the animation isn't not pretty, because it is - as the name implies, Sunny Patch is bright and colorful. However, I felt the show's strongest point was the music. Both the background score and the vocal compositions were very catchy and, for lack of a better word, heartfelt. In fact, the very first time I watched the show, I had the theme song in my head. Unfortunately, finding out who contributed the vocals is about as easy as trying to figure out what edits were made in whichever WWE DVD i'm currently reviewing (don't get me started on that).
Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends - Hum Bug contains six different "holiday-themed" episodes. Well, "holiday-themed" according to the back cover. See, we start out with Humbug, an episode where Spiderus takes advantage of Bounce, who's eager to do a good deed before the dream bug that comes before every winter solstice visits Hollow Tree. Sound familiar? From there, Dashing Through the Snow has Squirt, Bounce and Miss Spider trying to make it home to the Holly Berry Feast without getting trapped in a snowstorm.
After that, it seems as if Lionsgate just slapped on any old episode that would fit on the disc. Top O'Big Tree is about the kids trying to earn their Bug Scout Wings, while Seeing Straight has Dragon finding a pair of glasses and learning that it's important to return items to their proper owners. Spider Mom sees Miss Spider and one of her sons competing in the Annual Bugathon For Needy Bugs that teaches Squirt that winning isn't always important. The final story, Best Bug Buddies, teaches Squirt and Wiggle not to judge a book by its cover when they meet Spindella's niece, Petal.
Extras: Immediately after the trailers (and before the anamorphic menu), we're told "For fun spiderific features and activities, press the menu button on your remote control". There are no features and the only "activity" to be found is the workout your thumb will get as you continue to press the menu button in vain. Other than that, there are trailers that you will most definitely NOT want to subject your children to. There's the trailer for the Bratz live-action movie and Bratz Super Babies cartoon, Peppa Pig, Betsy Bubblegum's Journey Through Yummi-Land featuring the Ice Cream Pop Girls and the Doodlebops.
Video Quality: The picture for Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends: Hum Bug is presented in a full-frame 1.33:1 format and is sharp and fantastically colorful. I didn't notice any artifacts, grain or softness whatsoever.
Audio Quality: While I wouldn't mind hearing the music in Dolby Digital 5.1, i'll have be satisfied with the English or Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks provided.
Final Word: When all is said and done, Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends: Hum Bug is a harmlessly entertaining hour-long collection of 'toons. Why's that? I have no idea. I'm not necessarily a fan of the abstract animation, but the songs and the music more than make up for. There's also something to be said for Kristin Davis' vocals as Miss Spider - her voice is so calm and soothing. If you can find this release for $10 or under, it's Recommended. Heck, there are much worse things your kids could be watching...you have to look no further than the trailers on this disc for proof.
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